What Am I Reading, What Am I Writing: November/December 2024

The last time I wrote a blog entry, I talked extensively about getting back into writing fiction. I am proud to say that I’ve put myself in high gear on this front, and have no plans of slowing down anytime soon. The last three months, I have written, well, a lot.

Update on the story I was working on back in September

I was working on a piece called Abnormal back in September. I spent two months getting through two drafts of this project. I’ve made many changes, added chapters, and decided Abnormal works best as a novella as opposed to a short story. I’ve let Abnormal breathe during the month of November, and I’m about to dive back into editing. I hope to prepare Abnormal for beta readers (and if needed, a sensitivity read) by January. By the way, if you’re interested in beta or sensitivity reading, drop me a message.

Miscellaneous writings in October

I published a playlist to AudioPerfecta in October called Fall Moods: New Wave, Dance, Electronica, and More. I’ve been obsessed with this type of music for the past three months. I guess this isn’t a writing, but it is something published.

Another project I completed in October, is a story titled: The Lion of Luisa. It’s a tragic high fantasy short story that differs quite a bit from my normal writing style. Side note, there is a companion sci-fi short story that I plan on editing sometime in the next year. Both stories came from an early version of Abnormal. They were my protagonist’s dreams, but I decided they just didn’t fit with the greater story. I decided that The Lion of Luisa and the companion story should be stand alone short stories instead.

November Novella

In November, I participated in a writer’s cohort through Willamette Writers. I set a goal to write a novella of 25,000 words. I finished said novella early and I ended up with a piece that is 30,000 words. This is the longest piece of writing I’ve ever written, and I’m damned proud of myself. The project is still just a rough draft, don’t get me wrong. It’s a total crap fest with plot holes, inconsistencies, and so many other problems, but first drafts are always crap. And it’s my crap.

But you want to know more about the story, don’t you? The working title is “Anchor to the Real World” and it’s about a group of people who have special skills. One person can go without eating, one person can summon a hand held dragon, the protagonist can teleport herself and manifest bad coffee. Anchor to the Real World has several layers and a few subplots, so it’s not just about the “special skills” mind you. That’s just the setting. There’s a lot of interpersonal drama, a few twists you won’t see coming, and even a bit of personal growth. Also an anti-corporate sub message.

I’m hoping Anchor To the Real World turns out to be a fun ride for my readers. When will it come out? Well, sorry, it might be awhile. Again, it’s in breathe mode and only a rough draft. I might try to work on it in January. Stay tuned!

By the way, an extra big thanks to my partner, everyone in my various writers groups, as well as those in different social media platforms that have been encouraging me on this and other projects. Community makes all the difference in my creative endeavors.

What will I be working on in December?

Like I said earlier, my main project for December will be editing Abnormal. I’m looking forward to spending some time with Tessa (my protagonist). I only hope I don’t read it now and say “This is total crap!!!” But if I do, well, I can fix it I guess.

I have a couple smaller projects at audioperfecta.com. The first is a playlist in honor of my 50th birthday! Yeah, I’m turning the big one – I’m scared. How did I get so old? But I digress. Anyways, I’m not sure what I’m putting on said playlist yet, I’ll be figuring that out over the next week or so. I’m thinking about “50 songs that make me happy,” or something like that.

The other entry at AudioPerfecta will be my annual Holiday Hall of Shame! Yes, I’m bringing this series back like I’ve done for the past six years. I don’t know what songs I’ll be adding to this article, but I’m looking for ideas. If you know some truly heinous Christmas or holiday songs I’ve not included in previous years, let me know in the comments below!

And what am I reading?

In my last blog post, I mentioned I was reading This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amel El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. I’ve finished it, and I LOVED it. Like I seriously loved it. A twisted romance that spreads itself through time and space.

The next thing I read was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. I’ll admit, I didn’t like this book at first. It was slow and hard to read – but this style sets up the protagonist and their voice. Once I got about halfway through, I really enjoyed the book. So be patient with this one, as it’s rewarding in the end.

The next book I read was Bunny by Mona Awad. What. A. Trippy. Wonderful. Creepy. Odd. Beautiful. Freak of a book. To top it off, this was such a great read during the spooky season. It also makes me want to get an MFA in creative writing. Make of that what you will I guess.

Finally, I read the book Normal People by Sally Rooney. This is a wonderful piece of art that frames the relationship between the two protagonists as they go through young adulthood. If I have to pick a favorite book out of the group, this is the one. In fact, this is probably my favorite read in several years.

As far as what I’m currently reading, I’m nearing the end of Sunderworld V-01: The extraordinary disappointments of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs. It’s a fairly trippy book involving a secret and magical section of Los Angeles. I actually bought it after hearing Riggs himself read from the book. I then met the Riggs and got my copy signed, and I made myself a fool in front of him. I wanted to go back and say “I’m sorry I’m such a dork, I’m autistic!” But I digress.

I’m also reading, a series of weird AF short stories from a book called Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E Kirby. These stories make Bunny look like a kids book! But It’s a fun read for certain.

By the way, if you have a suggestion for something new to read, I’m always looking for my next read. I just ordered Geek Love by Katherine Dunn so I’ll be diving into that soon, but in a couple weeks when I finish, I’ll want something new.

Come find me!

That’s all for now. But if you want to keep in touch, come follow me at:

Threads: Where I talk about my writing, neurodiversity, and any other topic that comes to mind.

Bluesky: Where I attempt to mimic what I do in Threads.

Facebook: Where I participate in a bunch of groups and share weird memes.

Good Reads: Where I share what I’ve read, what I’m reading, and what I want to read.

Tik Tok: Where I’m just silly.

Thanks, everyone! Until next time. And be sure to check out AudioPerfecta.com later this month for the playlist and the Holiday, Hall of Shame!